March Madness Picks: California vs Louisville

In past years, coming into the NCAA Tournament as the Pac-10 championship would have meant a likely 2 or 3 seed at the absolute minimum.

But for the California Golden Bears, winning the conference this season only ended up netting them an 8 seed in the South Region and a tough opening round matchup against Big East stalwart Louisville and ultra-experienced tournament coach Rick Pitino.

The Cardinals didn't have a great year but they still exhibited the same traits that have made them one of the most dangerous teams in the country at times: great athleticism, tenacious defense, and their ability to play at a breakneck pace.

The Big East was also one of the strongest conferences in the nation and facing a team like Louisville could be a step up for Cal compared to their usual assortment of Pac-10 foes.

Even so, this is expected to be perhaps the closest game of the entire NCAA Tournament from a sports betting odds perspective on Friday.

South Region Matchup

California Golden Bears (23-10 SU, 19-13 ATS) vs. Louisville Cardinals (20-12 SU, 10-17 ATS)

9:55 pm ET Friday, Jacksonville, Florida, CBS TV

NCAA Tournament Betting Line: Pick 'em.

The Golden Bears managed to end up with a good record against the spread because of the low level of competition they faced in the Pac-10 compared with some teams that underachieved on the year because of their name values like Arizona and UCLA.

Louisiville on the other hand is a team that had high expectations going into the year and let a lot of fans down in some circles.

But they managed to get a big win over Syracuse late in the year and have beaten some other good Big East teams along the way.

Edgar Sosa has seemingly been around forever and is a fast, crafty point guard who can get to the basket and create for teammates.

Along with star forward Samardo Samuels, the Cardinals have a one-two duo to match most teams in the tournament.

But the Cardinals will also have problems with the depth of the Golden Bears in this one. California boasts four players who all score above 12 points per game.

The Bears are also an athletic team and that will enable them to match up against the pressing of Louisville and to allow them to stay even on the boards if the game comes to that down the stretch.

Jerome Randle is the kind of multi-dimensional combo guard who can lift a team on his back and win a game in the clutch, and he will be able to take over for the Bears late to lead them to a close win in round one.